Man arrested for taking baby on motorcycle ride

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DEER PARK, Texas — A Texas man has surrendered to deputies after being charged with child abandonment and endangerment after a photo of him on a motorcycle with a small child went viral on Facebook over the weekend.

The Liberty County Sheriff's Office and Deer Park Police Department were overwhelmed with calls and complaints about the passenger, but it took a thorough investigation to find the rider and child.

Welsh was arrested on Tuesday at his home on an outstanding traffic warrant.

Within days, investigators were able to gather enough evidence to file child endangerment charges against Welsh. However, this time, he was nowhere to be found.

The sheriff's office said numerous calls suggested Welsh had been hiding out at a friends house. Welsh, accompanied by his attorney, surrendered himself to deputies on Thursday.

He was jailed on a $5,000 bond.

The Deer Park Police Department is continuing to search for witnesses who may have been in the area at the time of the incident.

The sheriff’s office released a statement that read in part:

Under Texas law, no child under five (5) years old shall be a passenger on a motorcycle and any passenger that does ride as a second person on the motorcycle must be seated in a secured seat to the back of the motorcycle with secure hand grips and two foot pegs.